The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge's principal private secretary has told the royal couple he will depart later this year, after the birth of their first child.

The 52-year-old has struck such a close bond with the Prince and his wife, that his son William, aged 12, was one of the two pageboys at William and Kate's wedding in 2011.

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Jamie has been a constant presence at the Prince's side in the last ten years. He has helped plan everything from their wedding to overseas tours, and has provided invaluable support to the couple in challenging times including when intimate pictures of them on holiday were published last summer.

Jamie's departure had been "on the cards for months" and the future parents are aware of his plans, a royal source told The Telegraph.

"It certainly didn't come as any shock to them when he said he would be leaving," said the source. It is expected that the private secretary will stay on full-time until after the birth of their first child, to help with the huge international interest expected.

Mr Lowther-Pinkerton is a trusted friend of the couple and has supported Rebecca Deacon in her role as Kate's personal assistant.

It is expected that his role will be divided between three individual private secretaries: 35-year-old Miguel Head for William, Edward Lane Fox, 36, for Prince Harry and Kate's existing PA, 30-year-old Rebecca.

Jamie will still spend one day per week at St James's Palace providing support for the younger members of the royal household to assist them in handling the ever-growing media attention.

The Eton-educated secretary has had a long relationship with the royals. He served as equerry to the Queen Mother from 1984 to 1986, assisting in the care of her beloved horses, and was made a Lieutenant of the Royal Victorian Order in 2013.

He currently lives in Suffolk with his wife and four children. As helping the Duke and Duchess with the intense media attention, he was one of the three royal aides whose mobile phones were hacked in 2005, by the News of the World.

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